Willow Glen Trestle must be preserved if EIR shows it's doable

The wooden railway trestle in Willow Glen, which a group of community preservationists are trying to persuade the San Jose city council to preserve and convert into a pedestrian walkway. Courtesy Lawrence Ames

A public-interest lawsuit brought against the city for "refusal" to follow environmental impact report standards has been won by residents and historical enthusiasts.

The Willow Glen Trestle, a 1921 reminder of when the area's orchards depended upon the railroad to export their product, will remain intact until an environmental impact report has been completed, according to a 14-page July 28 court ruling.

"The EIR will analyze the trestle's historic status and rehabilitation for use as part of the trail, all within a public process," said attorney Susan Brandt-Hawley. "If rehabilitation is feasible, demolition is unlawful."

Nearly in its original state, the wooden bridge stands at the junction of the Los Gatos Creek Trail and the new Three Creeks Trail. Residents, joined by the Preservation Action Council of San Jose, had filed against San Jose in February when the city of proposed removing the 93-year-old trestle and replacing it with a steel bridge as part of a trail renovation project.

Judge Joseph Huber, who decided the case, agreed with the petitioners, writing that "any project that calls for the demolition of a potentially historical resource likely must be approved pursuant to an EIR."

Larry Ames, spokesman for Friends of the Willow Glen Trestle, said the group is "thrilled with the courts' protection" of the railway relic.

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"It can be adapted to become a safe and functional part of the new Three Creeks trail--and for less than a new steel bridge," Ames said.

The 210-foot trestle is one of just a few remaining, according to statements made by the California Trolley and Railroad Corporation, that were used by the judge when making his decision.

"The trestle is a classic 90 year-old structure, which once were common and are almost now nonexistent," the statement reads.